by Patrice Green Many people are drawn to the unique and unearthly appearance of the elusive and mysterious Monotropa uniflora, Ghost Pipe. Unfortunately, stands of these beautiful creatures are being over-harvested by the curious every year. Ghost Pipe, also known as Indian Pipe, Corpse Plant, and Fit plant, is a plant devoid of chlorophyll, which is why it has a pale, waxy appearance. It is so fragile that a mere touch can cause the flower to turn black, shrivel and die before it has a chance to pollinate. This plant cannot photosynthesize. Rather, it depends on trees and fungi – very specific trees and fungi – to live. Its roots contain fungi that require a bed of decaying leaves to enable connection to the roots of nearby conifers. The sugars from the conifers are the food source, via the fungi, for the Ghost Pipe. So in actuality, this plant requires the presence of a trinity of beings to survive: fungi, conifers for their sugars, and deciduous trees for their rotting leaf drop. Given the complexity of the relationships between the Ghost Pipe, the fungi and the trees, it will not survive if you try to transplant it. Let me say that again in a slightly different way: By attempting to transplant this rare plant you are actually killing it, as you cannot possibly replicate the growing conditions it needs to survive. In the 6 years I’ve been studying this plant locally and tracking its growth I’ve noticed an alarming reduction in its numbers. You may say, “Well there’s so much of it where I am, it won’t matter if I harvest a little bit.” To those of you who say that I ask, “What will happen to the plant if everyone who walks by it says that?” Yes, gentle reader, I’m speaking directly to you, imploring you on behalf of this beautiful plant to stop before you pick it. Think for a bit. Ask yourself some hard questions:
I’ve had people tell me they’ve harvested pounds of this plant. That’s right. POUNDS. I’ve had people contact me after they’ve harvested copious amounts of it, asking me to help them make it into something, what exactly they aren’t sure, nor are they clear on how they will use whatever they make with it. Please understand, if you were an experienced clinical herbalist with a thriving, enormous herbal practice seeing many clients on a regular basis it would still take you YEARS to go through the amount of tincture you could make from a pound of this plant. In the very long time it would take you to use all the tincture from that one pound of plant material, the area that was overharvested would likely still not recover. It’s extremely disturbing to witness a beloved plant that I consider one of my strongest allies mistreated in this way by well meaning individuals. It’s even more upsetting to me to realize that I inadvertently enabled this behavior by writing a previous post about how to use this plant. In a very real way, I feel that I’ve betrayed someone close and dear to me. I thought if someone was drawn to this plant, it was because they too felt the same sense of respect and deep reverence that I feel for Ghost Pipe. I was wrong. The plant paid the price. I am fiercely protective of those I love, and make no mistake, that extends most especially to my plant allies, as they cannot advocate for themselves. At my request, my previous article is no longer available. I will not help decimate its numbers nor will I continue to enable misuse, however inadvertent that misuse may be. My answer to anyone asking how to use this plant is that one can learn much from a plant meditation or shamanic journey to the spirit of the Ghost Pipe while not harming the plant itself, and I do encourage working with the plant in this sustainable, reasonable way. Given the spiritual nature of Ghost Pipe, this is in fact the best way to work with this plant. Meditate while sitting next to the plant, being mindful of its fragility by not touching it. Invite the spirit of Ghost Pipe into your journey or meditation and ask what lessons it has for you as well as what it needs from you. The answers may be surprising. When you finish your meditation, thank the plant for the lessons. Offer it a gift – tobacco is traditional. Know that once you’ve connected with a plant spirit through meditation or a shamanic journey, that connection will remain with you. You can re-visit the plant spirit through any subsequent meditation, regardless of where you are in relation to the actual physical presence of the plant. But please, do not pick this plant. Give it a break. It’s just trying to survive. Sources: http://botany.org/Parasitic_Plants/Monotropa_uniflora.php http://greenmanramblings.blogspot.ca/2016/07/ghost-pipe-cautionary-tale.html Patrice’s holistic journey started in 2010 when she began a mentorship practice with master healer Catherine Miller. Within six months, a transformative experience among the coastal redwoods of Muir Woods and its beach inspired further studies, eventually leading to the foundation of Green Aromatics, a holistic practice offering education and consultations in many healing modalities. Patrice is a cum laude graduate of Boston College and received her herbal training from The Boston School of Herbal Studies. A certified aromatherapist, herbalist, and flower essence practitioner, Patrice also incorporates reiki, energy healing and shamanic techniques into her work. She is a regular contributor to the Herbstalk blog and teaches at various locations in Eastern Massachusetts. by Patrice Green We are just a few days away from the next Herbstalk, arguably one of my favorite weekends of the year. If you’ve never been to this wonderful event I ask, “What are you waiting for?” The classes are wonderful, the sense of community created by Steph, Henry and Catherine is unlike any other, and the marketplace is filled with fabulous herbal products made by some of my favorite people. In its sixth year it now feels more like a great herbal reunion, a chance to catch up with old friends and former classmates. It’s an opportunity to learn, explore and experience herbal medicine in a fun, friendly, warm environment. This year I’m honored to teach about one of my dearest plant allies, the beautiful rose, in an experiential class. There are many ways to learn about a plant. You can study it through the writings of other herbalists. You can research its historical use. You can learn about its constituents, and read about any clinical studies done on the plant. All of that information is wonderful to have and certainly will give you a great body of knowledge about any plant, but my feeling is that the best way to really, truly know a plant requires that you get your hands dirty. Buy some seeds or a plant from a reputable grower and plant it in your garden – even if your garden is a pot on your front steps due to space limitations. Tend the plant, watch it grow. Observe how it responds in sunlight, extreme temperatures, and the blooming cycle of its flowers. Learn about how the doctrine of signatures might apply. Take notes on it, sketch the plant. To fully know someone is to know all aspects of the person. Plants are no different. They can be used medicinally in a variety of ways. Here are a few: teas, tinctures, elixirs, glycerides, essential oils or absolutes, and flower essences. Spend some time making medicine with the plant. If you’re using a plant like Tulsi/Holy Basil, which has a few varieties, make a tea with each and work with them one at a time. In the case of Tulsi, I recently did just that with the Krishna, Rama and Kapoor varieties. Working with each separately was a revelation: I found that the Krishna variety has a real edge to it, an aggressiveness, while the Kapoor is very light, gentle and uplifting. Rama sits somewhere in between. At various times, you might need something a little edgier, so would benefit more from using Krishna or Rama than Kapoor, but you wouldn’t know that unless you’d tried all three individually so you’d know how their energetics differ. Choose various menstruums. Make a glyceride, a tincture and a vinegar. Experience the differences of each. Experiment and take notes. Use the essential oil of the plant in a diffuser or aromatherapy blend. Use the flower essence. Observe how you feel when you use it, what parts of your body or spirit respond to the plant. Meditate or journey to the plant. Ask what lessons it has for you, physically, emotionally, spiritually. Wait for the answers. Take notes on your meditations and journeys, then work with the plant to deepen your understanding of its myriad gifts. While there is a left brain component to herbalism, I prefer to learn about plants from a right brain perspective, as to me, herbalism is an experiential process. Studying a plant energetically, through meditation and journeying offers direct access to the spirit of the plant itself. A skillful teacher, books, studies can all give you great information about a plant, but the best teacher is the plant itself, with the human teacher acting as a mediator or facilitator to the student’s relationship with the plant. This requires the student’s willingness to go on an inward journey, to be still and wait for the lessons the plant has to offer to be revealed. I hope to see you at this year’s Herbstalk, and maybe even to have the good fortune to share class space with you! Until then, many blessings! Patrice’s holistic journey started in 2010 when she began a mentorship practice with master healer Catherine Miller. Within six months, a transformative experience among the coastal redwoods of Muir Woods and its beach inspired further studies, eventually leading to the foundation of Green Aromatics, a holistic practice offering education and consultations in many healing modalities. Patrice is a cum laude graduate of Boston College and received her herbal training from The Boston School of Herbal Studies. A certified aromatherapist, herbalist, and flower essence practitioner, Patrice also incorporates reiki, energy healing and shamanic techniques into her work. She is a regular contributor to the Herbstalk blog and teaches at various locations in Eastern Massachusetts. by Ryn Midura Don’t let the diagrams scare you! Don’t let the long names drive you away. Phytochemistry can be intimidating at a first look, but it does have some useful insights to offer even the most folksy of healers. The best parts of it are those that bear directly on your practical experience working with herbs. Let’s take an quick look at the salicylates, those famously anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving constituents found in willow (Salix alba) and other herbs, as an example. First, aspirin: it’s acetylsalicylic acid, a synthetic derivative. Both natural salicylates and aspirin are pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and fever-reducing; however, as it turns out, it is the acetyl group there which provides the blood-thinning actions. So, the natural salicylates found in willow and friends do not thin the blood. (Though admittedly, you may occasionally read otherwise! This seems to be one instance, among many, of back-forming conclusions about the activity of an herb based on assumptions about the activity of its constituents. Be wary!) Second, we have the natural salicylates which we find in our herbs. There are many different forms. Two of the most common: Methyl salicylate is volatile – that is, it evaporates and travels through the air – and lends the distinctive aromatic scent to the wintergreen plant (Gaultheria procumbens), as well as birch (Betula lenta) and meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria). It is rapidly and readily absorbed by the skin. Salicin is slowly metabolized into salicylic acid after you consume it. This conversion isn’t completed until the constituents pass through the intestines and liver – which, on the one hand, means that willow usually isn’t as fast-acting a painkiller as aspirin can be. On the other hand, this delayed conversion is a good thing for your GI tract! It is the exposure to free salicylic acid, released during the relatively rapid metabolism of aspirin, which leads to its notorious gut-irritating and ulcer-forming effects. For this reason, willow bark and meadowsweet are much safer: they don’t cause potentially serious damage the way aspirin can. Plants generally contain a blend of salicylates; wintergreen has lots of methyl salicylate, and willow has lots of salicin. That means, if you’re looking to manage topical pain, wintergreen might be a better choice due to the benefits of rapid absorption. As part of a formula to mitigate an arthritic condition over the long term, however, willow might be a better option. Constituents work more effectively in their naturally occurring mixtures than they do when isolated or synthesized – synergy is a key factor in herbal medicine. So, of course we don’t reduce all the actions of a plant down to one constituent! However, it is handy to know a little phytochemistry to help you sort through claims made about herbs, and also make better choices about which plant to apply. If you’d like to learn more, join me for my Practical Phytochemistry class at Herbstalk! Ryn's first forays into healing came by way of martial arts, where he saw the difference movement and discipline could make for a person’s health. He found plant medicine as a path to deeper engagement with the balances and rhythms in body, mind, and environment. Ryn has been teaching herbalism, and practicing as a clinical herbalist, since 2011. With Katja Swift, he founded the CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism in Boston, MA. There they both consult with individual clients, run a three-year clinical training program, and offer community classes and workshops. Ryn has written for Plant Healer Magazine and the Northeast Herbal Association Journal, and taught at the Traditions in Western Herbalism conferences, the American Herbalists Guild symposium, IM4US, and Herbstalk. He is also a board member for Health Freedom Action Massachusetts, a coalition working to pass "safe harbor" health freedom legislation to protect the rights of unlicensed practitioners, including herbalists. He is trained as a street medic and Wilderness First Responder. The weekend we have all been waiting for is almost here! Below are all the details you need to know to have a great time at Herbstalk...
by Katja Swift This year at Herbstalk, I'll be talking about Herbs for Psychological and Emotional First Aid. Here, I want to share a somewhat different formula: herbs for people ASSISTING people who need psychological and emotional first aid! Whether you're responding to a local disaster or supporting a friend experiencing trauma or distress in their life, you need support too, especially if you're in it for the long haul. Here's a formula I love for just this type of work: Aid Worker’s Elixir ("keep going and keep it together") Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosis) Eleuthero is an adaptogen, which means that it helps the body manage stress in a fairly generalized way. Recently, adaptogens are starting to be defined as herbs that have explicit action on the HPA axis or on the stress-response functions of the endocrine system as a whole. In other words - adaptogens can help you keep going. Eleuthero is stimulating, but it has a somewhat different quality than caffeine. You definitely get the uplifiting action, but it's not quite as much of a spike as caffeine can be, and it doesn't have the tendency to cause "jitters" or upset digestion. Eleuthero is fantastic when you need to keep working even in extreme conditions without enough resources - and in fact, that's how a lot of the studies on this plant were done! Angelica (Angelica archangelica) Angelica is a plant of extremes - it lives most happily up near the Arctic Circle, where it's either all day or all night. Even in the summer, though the sun is out 20+ hours a day, it's never really warm. Angelica is a tall plant with a large, heavy flower head, and yet it's stem is a strong spine that can support that weight even in forceful winds. Angelica can give you energy to last through extremes without losing your balance, and to support others even when you're feeling tossed about. Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) Rhodiola is another Arctic Circle plant. It thrives on extreme rocky outcroppings and can hold things together. Often this plant is touted as an "anti-depressant", but traditionally it was thought of more as an endurance plant. Imagine Vikings rowing in open boats across cold seas - physically, that's a tremendous feat. When you can't see the shore (and might not for a few days), everything is grey and damp and cold, and you just have to keep moving without losing your internal compass: that's Rhodiola! Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Yarrow is a battlefield plant - traditionally it was an ally to wounded soldiers. And of course, with its strong ability to staunch bleeding, it's easy to see why. But the protective qualities of Yarrow were so strong that in naming the plant, botanists reference Achilles, who was protected (or "armored"!) against all harm except for the place on his heel where his mother held him to dip him into the magic river. Physiologically, we work with Yarrow for bleeding, and emotionally that can be true too - to prevent your own resources from bleeding out of you while you're supporting others. But the mythology behind Yarrow - though we haven't invented the microscope that can explain it yet - also plays a part: Yarrow is like "emotional armor". When you need to be strong in difficult situations, when you need to put on your armor and head out to the emotional battlefield, Yarrow has an amazing shielding quality. Blend a strong decoction or make a tincture of these plants in equal parts. I like to add something sweet – maple syrup would be my first choice, or molasses, because of the mineral content and nourishing aspect, though honey is also a good choice. Just like chocolate helps you recover from the emotional onslaught of the Dementors in the Harry Potter stories, there's something particularly magic about the ability of sweet things to feel soothing in difficult times! Consume freely as needed. And of course, once you and your community are safe, let yourself sleep for a week! This formula is fantastic whether you're working in a first aid tent after a natural disaster, supporting a loved one through hospice care, or even "just" supporting your teenager as they navigate the pits and falls of high school! Katja has been teaching herbalism and practicing as a clinical herbalist since 1996. For ten years she owned and worked a 150-acre certified organic farm in central Vermont. During this time she taught monthly at the local coop, and as a guest lecturer at Dartmouth Medical School and the UVM Medical School. In 2011, she and her husband Ryn Midura founded the CommonWealth Center for Holistic Herbalism, a vitalist school with a three-year clinical training program. In addition to this program, they offer a one-year community herbalist program and community classes and workshops. Katja serves as adjunct faculty at MCPHS University and Northeastern University, teaching vitalism and Traditional Western Herbalism to 100 PharmD students each year. Katja is also trained as a street medic and Wilderness First Responder, and has run in the streets or coordinated dispatch for actions in Boston, New York, and Ferguson. Katja writes regularly for Plant Healer Magazine and the Journal of the Northeast Herbal Association, among others. She has presented at the Traditions in Western Herbalism conferences, the American Herbalists Guild symposium, IM4US, and Herbstalk. by Jenny Hauf I’ve spent much of this May feeling out of place, with a scarf around my neck and a breath that turns white before disappearing into the early evening. Don’t get me wrong: as a farmer, gardener, and fighter for New England’s ecological health I am relieved that we’ve finally gotten enough rain to sate Massachusetts out of a devastating drought. However, I’m also anxious for soil that is dry and warm enough to start our field work. Despite the nippy weather and sunless days I’ve recognized this sweet month for its heavy blossoms, breezes that smell like pine and lilac, and the annual tradition planting the Herbstalk Community Gardens. For four years Steph and I have been joined by a group of lovely women who have helped us design, create, and tend tiny herb gardens throughout the Boston area. A few of the gardens live in full raised beds lovingly built by members of our crew while others consist of a few terracotta pots and window boxes. Regardless of size each plot is unique and jam-packed with dearly loved medicinal (and often delectable) plant friends. Elissa’s raised bed at Saint Mary’s in Dorchester is calm and simple; a reverie nestled into a corner of the church’s stone walls and elegantly planted with lavender, calendula, chamomile, and mugwort (which found its own way into the garden on its own). Maggie’s garden is in the playground across from Chilacates in Jamaica Plain, packed with seedlings from calendula, feverfew, and marshmallow mothers planted years ago that keep on providing us with leafy daughters. My own garden at ZAZ in Hyde Park consists of a collection of two window boxes and two wide and elegantly squat terracotta pots, brimming over with culinary herbs used by ZAZ’s chef, Olrie Roberts, in his new American fusion dishes. This year we set him up with ginger mint, lemon and English thyme, holy basil grown from seed, lemongrass, and other deliciously healing plants. While the women of the garden crew each have our “own” gardens we are merely stewards of plots that we maintain for the greater Boston community. We welcome visitors and passersby to harvest handfuls for their own use—a wee sprig of tulsi from Mal’s vertical garden at Somerville’s Bloc 11, say, or some anise hyssop from boxes and barrels at Gail Ann’s in Arlington Center. Soon the chamomile flowers in JP and Dorchester will be ready for the plucking, and in about a month Maggie’s Stonybrook garden (our flagship bed) will have lemon balm that’s big enough to start pinching for the iced teas of summer. Whether you are new to herbs, a practicing herbalist, or a dabbling cook or tea maker, we hope that you visit our gardens this year and take some time to smell their sweetness and perhaps take a little souvenir home for your teapot, saucepan, or salad bowl. For more information on the Herbstalk Community Gardens Project, including ways to volunteer, please visit our gardens page. Jennifer Hauf, grower and owner of Muddy River Herbals, is a farmer and writer living in Boston. As part of our Herbstalk garden team, she also ensures that pockets of herbs thrive around the city. A transplant from the rustbelt of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she grew up in love with the life around her, especially as seen in her father’s and grandparents’ gardens. She began using herbal medicine a decade ago, and has been tending to herbs on farms and gardens since 2006. When not elbow-deep in the dirt she writes about urban ecology at her blog, Spokes and Petals, spins wool and bicycle tires, and occasionally hammers out a tune on her banjo. She is available for gardening consultations, workshops, and freelance work. by Jenny Hauf I am sitting in the slow and quiet darkness of a little past 4 am, listening to the morning chorus begin with the soft chirping by my trusty radiator. I touch my fingertips which feel, and almost sound, like paper, suddenly rough and a bit inflamed from never stopping the tasks of mixing potting soil, unwrapping trees from our Fedco order and planting them in the soil, sowing seeds into trays, pruning the winterkill from trees and shrubs, hauling stuff from here to there, and almost never wearing gloves. A brand new season has finally come to sweep me off my feet. After an especially wearying winter spring has come to me like a dancing partner, starting off with a few subtle and sneaky steps before swinging me into a fever pitch of spin and color and love. I truly feel like Persephone risen from the underworld. I walk and find the pilewort (Ficaria verna), the squill (Scilla spp.), and the sweet glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa forbesii) at my mudbooted feet. Dandelion’s manes are starting to roar gloriously onto sidewalks and I’ve seen some of chickweed’s stars. And when I occasionally take the time to look up I’m rewarded by more constellations, this time of cherry blossoms awakening and the fuzzy buds of magnolias bursting to a blushing white. The world is wet and infused with the words of E. E. Cummings: mud-luscious. Puddle wonderful. This is a big transition year for us. After two years in Dracut we are delighted to be moving our operation to Canton, MA. My husband Matt, who became my business partner in the fall, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have our work and dear plants so much closer to our Hyde Park home. While I had the pleasure of listening to a panoply of very fine audiobooks, podcasts, and Beyoncé albums, I am So Ready to not have to drive an hour (or more!) to get to the farm. Creating and nourishing and endlessly working at my own farm has been the closest I’ve come to feeling like a parent. Elizabeth Stone wrote that to have a child is “to have your heart go walking outside your body.” I can relate. I don’t want my weary little heart growing all the way up by the New Hampshire border while I’m trying to sleep in Boston and wondering what on earth is happening with the bee balm and the boneset. Ten minutes is still too far, but it’s close enough that I can almost feel my little muscle beating among all the green life of comfrey and tulsi and rose. I say that, but everything’s still up in Dracut. Our new land was used for decades as a hayfield and then let fallow for a while after that, so we had to have a farmer with fancier equipment than ours plow it deeply to break up years of compaction and piles of stone. Today we lime it, because holy smokes it’s acidic, and then our man Charlie (who always ends phone calls with “toodle-oo”) will return to disc it. We’ll wait a few weeks for the grasses and wildflowers that Charlie tilled in to break down and for the lime to get cozy with our soil’s chemistry and then we’ll finally be able to start moving truckloads (upon truckloads) (upon truckloads) (upon truckloads!) of our plants to their gorgeous new home, and old and esteemed estate full of wild woods, formal gardens, and a bona fide mansion. And the sowing! Oh the packets we have of wee little lives so ready to sprout right in our field. Poppies, love-in-a-mist, calendula, cosmos, sunflowers, fenugreek, Japanese chrysanthemums you can eat in your salad, and so many more, tucked into their little paper packets and hungering for the water and the light. But for now the robins in our yard trees have finally begun singing and while I went to bed right after dinner I’m realizing I could do with a bit more sleep before the new day’s work begins again. Until next time I hope that your dearest dreams for this season blossom into a beautiful truth. Muddy River Herbals is currently accepting CSA members and will be holding their first plant sale of the year on the farm on May 20th. To learn more please visit their website at www.muddyriverherbals.com! Jennifer Hauf, grower and owner of Muddy River Herbals, is a farmer and writer living in Boston. As part of our Herbstalk garden team, she also ensures that pockets of herbs thrive around the city. A transplant from the rustbelt of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she grew up in love with the life around her, especially as seen in her father’s and grandparents’ gardens. She began using herbal medicine a decade ago, and has been tending to herbs on farms and gardens since 2006. When not elbow-deep in the dirt she writes about urban ecology at her blog, Spokes and Petals, spins wool and bicycle tires, and occasionally hammers out a tune on her banjo. She is available for gardening consultations, workshops, and freelance work.
contributed by Brendan Kelly
Today's post includes two videos created by one of our wonderful teachers, Brendan Kelly. He is the author of "The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis", and in these short video clips he talks about the important connection between personal and ecological health. You can learn more about his book here, and see the details of his class here, Global Warming & Internal Inflammation, which will be offered at Herbstalk on June 3rd. Part I:
Brendan Kelly has a master’s degree in acupuncture and teaches about Chinese medicine at schools, colleges, universities and conferences around the country. He is a faculty member at Johnson State College in VT and the Academy for Five Element Acupuncture in FL. He has 20 years experience in western herbs, with 12 years in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. He practices acupuncture and Chinese and western herbal medicine full time at the clinic he co-founded, Jade Mountain Wellness, in Burlington, VT. In 2015 he published his first book "The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis" which presents the deeper, root causes of our warming planet and its connection to our personal and collective health.
by Patrice Green The miracle of herbs and plants is that when taken responsibly and respectfully they do not deaden the emotions. As gentle, loving, supportive allies, plants help us work through the lessons we are here to learn. In particular, roses do this beautifully. Rose petals and their medicine help to move and open a heart which has tightened emotionally and spiritually. In both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the Unani (Greek-Arabic medicine) traditions, the heart is believed to be a physical organ and the seat of consciousness. TCM uses the term shen, while Unani medicine talks about pneuma. Both schools teach that rose has a powerful affect on the spiritual state of one’s heart. Unani medicine has a category of heart herbs termed as “exhilarants”, which help the spiritual heart feel joy. Rose is considered both a shen tonic in TCM and an exhilarant in Unani medicine. A wonderful nervine, great for uplifting the mood and alleviating depression, rose also has antispasmodic, aphrodisiac and sedative qualities, as well as being anti-inflammatory. Rose helps regulate menstruation as well as stimulate the digestion. Rosehips, which come along after the bloom has faded, are a wonderful source of vitamins C, B2 and E. One may use rose as an herbal supplement, essential oil or flower essence. Rose petal tincture is often used in heart formulas. Dried rose petals make a lovely addition to teas. One of my favorite ways to use rose is to make a glycerite of the fresh flowers of Rosa rugosa, the fragrant wild rose found near many beaches. I have found it to be a powerful yet gentle remedy which truly gladdens the heart while easing sorrow and grief. I’ve given rose glycerite to many people over the years who are experiencing depression or loss. Every single person has reported back that rose glycerite helped them through the grief process, making it easier to bear. For deep grief, I also recommend the homeopathic remedy Ignatia amara. Ignatia amara comes from the seeds of a large tree found in the Philippines which was beloved of the Jesuits, an order founded by St. Ignatius, hence its name. I find the combination of Ignatia amaraand Rose glycerite both powerful and soothing to the wounded spirit which is trying to heal. Rose essential oil, made from Rosa damascena, helps alleviate depression and anxiety. Rosa rugosa flower essence is love. It raises negative vibrations and helps purify the heart/shen. The alchemy between Rosa rugosa and the sea enables this flower essence to physically balance out negative ions, release grief & transmute negative vibrations into love/compassion. Rose petals are soft and can soften the heart. The thorns offer protection. This is truly a beautiful flower essence and plant. To ease your heart, visit the Rose spirit. You can do this by meditating on the Rosa rugosaeither while taking its essence or holding it in your hand. Trust in the rose spirit to help you release that which no longer serves your highest good. This year I infused some local honey with rose petals. It adds a wonderful touch to a cuppa and many recipes which call for honey. Spend some time with Rosa rugosa, as an herb, essential oil, flower essence, and next summer with the plant itself. Let her inspire you to work with her in whichever way seems most appropriate. Experiment and open yourself to whatever lessons she has to teach you. Feel free to share your experiences by sending me an email, patrice@greenaromatics.com. I’d love to hear how Rose has revealed herself to you! Patrice’s holistic journey started in 2010 when she began a mentorship practice with master healer Catherine Miller. Within six months, a transformative experience among the coastal redwoods of Muir Woods and its beach inspired further studies, eventually leading to the foundation of Green Aromatics, a holistic practice offering education and consultations in many healing modalities. Patrice is a cum laude graduate of Boston College and received her herbal training from The Boston School of Herbal Studies. A certified aromatherapist, herbalist, and flower essence practitioner, Patrice also incorporates reiki, energy healing and shamanic techniques into her work. She is a regular contributor to the Herbstalk blog and teaches at various locations in Eastern Massachusetts. by Patrice Green Herbalists always say that everything starts with the gut, meaning that if your digestive system is working optimally, so too will everything else. This past fall I became obsessed with making bitters. Bitters help stimulate the digestive system to optimize the body’s ability to process food and absorb nutrients. It is amazing to me how much of a difference just a few drops of a balanced bitters formula can make to one’s digestive health. A perfect example of when bitters are helpful is either before or after a large meal, like Thanksgiving dinner. Bitters are also great to use during the winter months, when our systems are bogged down for a variety of reasons. Often weather precludes us from being as active as we’d like. We also don’t have the same variety of fresh greens and vegetables in our diets, and we’re more inclined to eat heavier stews and foods during the winter months. Bitters help stimulate one’s metabolism, helping with weight loss. They are prized in Ayurvedic medicine as a way to manage a sweet tooth. Here are some of my favorite bitters: Gentian Root: Gentian is the premier bitter herb. It can take anywhere from 7-10 years for the root to mature for harvesting. It grows in high altitudes and was used as the chief flavoring for America’s first soft drink, Moxie soda. Its distinctive flavor is not for the faint of heart. It also should be used with caution by anyone with ulcers. It is also an emmenagogue, anti-parasitic and has been used to balance high blood pressure. Cacao: Think chocolate – raw, pure, unsweetened and minimally processed and you have cacao, the source from which chocolate is derived. Very high in antioxidants and minerals, cacao is a natural bitter that adds a wonderful “finish” to any bitters formula. Dandelion Root: Dandelion greens are wonderful in spring salads or steamed as a side dish, but why not use the root year round? In addition to using it in liver teas, the root can be added to bitters formulas with great results. Artichoke: Artichoke stimulates the flow of bile from the liver. It’s been used to stabilize blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as treating nausea, arthritis and liver issues. There are several other foods and herbs that can be used in bitters formulas, such as the dried peel of citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, or dried lavender and vanilla bean. You can use rose hips, apricots, cherries, cranberries, cloves, cinnamon, mace or nutmeg. The only limit is your imagination. I encourage you to think about making your own bitters formula. Experiment! Your body will thank you! Patrice Green is an Herbal Educator, Certified Aromatherapist, Energy Medicine and Reiki Practitioner and founder of Green Aromatics. She is also the Assistant Director at the Boston School of Herbal Studies. She received her herbal training at the Boston School of Herbal Studies, and shamanic training from Isa Gucciardi, Ph. D. at the Sacred Stream in Berkley, CA. Inspired by time spent among the coastal Redwoods of Muir Woods and its beach, Green Aromatics strives to imbue its products and services with the same resilience, joy and equanimity of these majestic beings. Patrice may be reached through the Green Aromatics website. |
Archives
November 2023
Categories
All
|